This invention relates generally to analog timepieces and more particularly, to an improved setting assembly that provides for a quick adjustment feature in which a hand or date indicator, for example, of an analog watch can be rotated independently of the motor, thereby providing a fast setting or adjustment feature particularly advantageous in streamlining adjustments to take into account a change in time zone or daylight savings time, for example. In the preferred embodiment, the setting feature is directed to the fast setting of the hour hand.
As many users/owners of analog watches know, setting or adjusting the hands on an analog watch time can be somewhat time consuming for most, and possibly frustrating for some. Timepieces have been constructed to facilitate such time setting, and are described in such patents as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,305,291 and 5,742,565.
However, further improvements are desired. For example, it would be desirable to construct a timepiece in which the hour hand can be adjusted hour-steps independently of the minute hand, thereby facilitating the time setting of a watch, while also making the setting thereof much faster. The present invention provides just such a feature as well as the advantages afforded thereby.
Generally speaking, it is an object to provide an improved time adjustment assembly for use in a timepiece that allows for fast setting of a hand or date, and in preferred embodiment, the fast setting of the hour hand independently of the minute hand, used for time zone setting.
It is thus another object to provide an assembly that allows for quick time setting to adjust for time zone and daylight saving changes, for example.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
In one embodiment, the time adjustment assembly is designed for a timepiece, wherein the timepiece comprises a casing, a setting stem displaceable in a plurality of axial positions and including a toothed ring thereon, a setting wheel that is selectively and rotatably engageable with the toothed ring on the setting stem, a center wheel that is rotatably engageable with the setting wheel, a third wheel that is rotatably engageable with the center wheel, and a center gear that is rotatably engageable with the third wheel, and the time adjustment assembly comprises a fast wheel that is movable between a first position where it is not rotationally engageable with the center gear and a second position where it is rotationally engageable with the center gear; a corrector wheel, mounted on the setting stem, for rotating the fast wheel; a setting spring selectively engageable with the fast wheel to move the fast wheel between the fast wheel""s first position and second position; wherein when the fast wheel is in rotational engagement with the center gear the setting stem is out of engagement with the setting wheel and an selected hand is independently movable via the rotation of the setting stem.
In a particular and preferred embodiment, the time adjustment assembly comprises a fast hour wheel that is movable between a first position where it is not rotationally engageable with the hour wheel and a second position where it is rotationally engageable with the hour wheel; a corrector wheel, mounted on the setting stem, for rotating the fast hour wheel; and a setting spring selectively engageable with the fast hour wheel to move the fast hour wheel between the fast hour wheel""s first position and second position; wherein when the fast hour wheel is in rotational engagement with the hour wheel the setting stem is out of engagement with the setting wheel and an hour hand is movable independently of the minute hand via the rotation of the setting stem.